Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 188 / Thursday, September 28, 2006 / Rules and Regulations 57375 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND 

SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

48 CFR Parts 22, 25, and 52 

[FAC 2005–13; FAR Case 2005–030; Item 

V;Docket 2006–0020, Sequence 15] 

RIN 9000–AK40 

Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR 

Case 2005–030, Trade Agreements—

Thresholds 

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), 

General Services Administration (GSA), 

and National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Civilian Agency 

Acquisition Council and the Defense 

Acquisition Regulations Council 

(Councils) have adopted as final, 

without change, an interim rule 

amending the Federal Acquisition 

Regulation (FAR) to implement the 

increased thresholds for the World 

Trade Organization Government 

Procurement Agreement and Free Trade 

Agreements. 

DATES: Effective Date: September 28, 

2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

clarification of content, contact Ms. 

Jeritta Parnell, Procurement Analyst, at 

(202) 501–4082. Please cite FAC 2005–

13, FAR case 2005–030. For information 

pertaining to status or publication 

schedules, contact the FAR Secretariat 

at (202) 501–4755. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background 

The Councils published an interim 

rule in the Federal Register at 71 FR 

864, January 5, 2006, to implement the 

increased thresholds for the World 

Trade Organization Government 

Procurement Agreement and Free Trade 

Agreements. Every two years, the trade 

agreements thresholds are escalated 

according to a pre-determined formula 

set forth in the agreements. The United 

States Trade Representative published 

the new thresholds in the Federal 

Register at 70 FR 73510 to 73511, 

December 12, 2005. No comments were 

received by the close of the public 

comment period on March 6, 2006, 

therefore, the Councils agreed to convert 

the interim rule to a final rule. 

This is not a significant regulatory 

action and, therefore, was not subject to 

review under Section 6(b) of Executive 

Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and 

Review, dated September 30, 1993. This 

rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 

804. 

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Department of Defense, the 

General Services Administration, and 

the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration certify that this final 

rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities within the 

meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., because the 

threshold changes are in line with 

inflation and only maintain the status 

quo. 

C. Paperwork Reduction Act 

The Paperwork Reduction Act does 

apply, because the final rule affects the 

certification and information collection 

requirements in the provisions at FAR 

52.212–3, 52.225–4, 52.225–6, and 

52.225–11 currently approved under 

OMB clearances 9000–0136, 9000–0130, 

9000–0025, and 9000–0141 respectively. 

There is, however, no change to these 

clearances because the threshold 

changes are due to inflation and only 

maintain the status quo. As a result, 

these FAR changes do not impose 

additional information collection 

requirements. 

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 22, 25, 

and 52 

Government procurement. 

Dated: September 19, 2006 

Ralph De Stefano, 

Director,Contract Policy Division. 

Interim Rule Adopted as Final Without 

Change 

■ Accordingly, the interim rule 

amending 48 CFR parts 22, 25 and 52, 

which was published at 71 FR 864, 

January 5, 2006, is adopted as a final 

rule without change. 

[FR Doc. 06–8207 Filed 9–27–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–EP–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND 

SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

48 CFR Parts 25 and 52 

[FAC 2005–13; FAR Case 2005–034; Item 

VI; Docket 2006–0020, Sequence 9] 

RIN 9000–AK52 

Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR 

Case 2005–034, Reporting of 

Purchases from Overseas Sources 

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), 

General Services Administration (GSA), 

and National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA). 

ACTION: Interim rule with request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Civilian Agency 

Acquisition Council and the Defense 

Acquisition Regulations Council 

(Councils) have agreed on an interim 

rule amending the Federal Acquisition 

Regulation (FAR) to implement Section 

837 of Division A of the Transportation, 

Treasury, Housing and Urban 

Development, the Judiciary, the District 

of Columbia, and Independent Agencies 

Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109–

115) and similar sections in subsequent 

appropriations acts. Section 837 

requires the head of each Federal agency 

to submit a report to Congress relating 

to acquisitions of articles, materials, or 

supplies that are manufactured outside 

the United States. This rule amends the 

FAR to request from offerors necessary 

data regarding place of manufacture. 

DATES: Effective Date: September 28, 

2006. 

Applicability Date: This amendment 

is mandatory for solicitations issued and 

contracts awarded on or after October 1, 

2006. To meet the congressionally 

mandated reporting requirement, 

agencies may incorporate the new FAR 

provision 52.225–18 or corresponding 

requirement at 52.212–3 in solicitations 

issued or contracts awarded prior to 

October 1, 2006. 

Comment Date: Interested parties 

should submit written comments to the 

FAR Secretariat on or before November 

27, 2006 to be considered in the 

formulation of a final rule. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

identified by FAC 2005–13, FAR case 

2005–034, by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Search for this 

document at the ‘‘Federal Acquisition 


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